Primary 2 Science · Living Things - study notes & mind map

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Living things need food, water, and air

All living things like animals and plants need food and water to stay alive and grow. They also need to breathe air, just like you do when you take a deep breath.

Living things can grow

Baby animals grow bigger into adult animals, and tiny seeds grow into tall plants over time. Non-living things like toys or stones never grow bigger.

Living things can move by themselves

Animals can walk, run, swim, or fly from place to place using their own energy. Plants cannot walk around, but parts of them can move to face the sunlight.

Living things respond to changes around them

When something happens, living things react. If you touch a shy plant called the mimosa, its leaves close up. If a loud sound plays, a cat will jump.

Living things have young

Living things can have babies or produce seeds so their kind does not die out. Dogs have puppies, birds lay eggs, and plants make seeds that grow into new plants.

Look and learn

Is a teddy bear a living thing? Give one reason.

Step 1: Think about what a teddy bear can do.
Step 2: A teddy bear cannot eat, grow, or breathe air on its own.
Step 3: Therefore, a teddy bear is a non-living thing.

A kitten drinks milk and grows bigger each month. Is the kitten a living thing?

Step 1: Check if the kitten needs food and water.
Step 2: Check if the kitten can grow bigger.
Step 3: Since it needs food and can grow, the kitten is a living thing.

Why is a green plant considered a living thing even though it cannot walk around?

Step 1: Remember that moving from place to place is only one trait.
Step 2: Plants need water, can grow, and produce young from seeds.
Step 3: Because it grows and needs water, a plant is a living thing.

Living Things